Payroll Support

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced that geographic boundaries have changed due to formation of new boroughs or annexations and as a result, new geographic codes have been created and are incorporated on page 2 of the Alaska Occupational Coding Manual.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I am affected?

You may be affected if you pay unemployment insurances taxes in the State of Alaska and have employees who may work in these impacted areas.

What geographic areas are affected and where can I find the new codes?

The following areas have been impacted by this change:

• Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
• Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area
• Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area

A detailed list of the geographic codes can be found in the Alaska Occupational Coding Manual, on pages 7-15.  Links to the Agency?s website are also located on the Supported State and Local Payroll Tax Information page.

Customers may contact the Agency if they have questions about which codes to use by calling 1-800-478-2771 (toll free in Alaska) or 907-465-2771 (collect outside Alaska).

When will the new Geographic Codes be available in QuickBooks?

The Alaska Geographic and Occupational Codes are currently supported in QuickBooks 2009 R4 or higher.  The new Geographic Codes is currently scheduled for release in Payroll Update 20918 on July 16, 2009.   These reporting codes will post to the tax forms supported in QuickBooks 2009 R4 or higher for Enhanced Payroll customers. 

When should customers begin using these new geographic codes?

If customers have an employee(s) who works in one of these areas, they will need to update the geographic codes in QuickBooks.  The new geographic codes should be used when submitting their second quarter 2009 Alaska Quarterly Contribution Report.

What if I am on the Assisted Payroll Service?

There is no change to the tax filing service for Assisted Payroll customers who have Alaska unemployment insurance tax returns filed on their behalf. Assisted Payroll customers will now have the ability to enter the Geographic and Occupational Codes for their employees.